OMS & Smartwool E-Commerce Photography
Smartwool eCommerce Photography
Smartwool makes merino wool socks, base layers, and apparel for athletes and adventurers, and every season brings hundreds of new styles and colorways to photograph. OMS built a high-volume production system that delivers consistent, retail-ready photography and 360 motion for every channel Smartwool sells through.
- Client
- Smartwool
- Products
- Merino wool socks, base layers, and apparel
- Services
- Flat lay, ghost mannequin, on-model, 360 video, retouching
- Delivery
- Cropped, retouched, and sized to retail partner specs
The challenge
Smartwool’s catalog moves on a seasonal cycle, and each season arrives with a large volume of new SKUs: socks in dozens of patterns and cushion levels, base layers, tops, and outerwear across men’s, women’s, and kids’ lines.
Every one of those products has to look the same on the page. Merino knit texture, true colorway, and fit all need to read clearly, and images have to meet the formatting requirements of Smartwool’s own site as well as each retail partner’s. A sock shot in March has to sit next to one shot in September without a visible difference.
Our approach
OMS engineered a flexible, scalable workflow around Smartwool’s retail and eCommerce requirements, with account management, production, photography, 360 video, retouching, and retail cropping all handled in-house by one team.
Socks are shaped on forms and shot ghost-mannequin style so heel, toe, and cushion zones are easy to see. Apparel is photographed as flat lay and on-model to show both construction and fit. Lighting and camera positions are locked for each product type, so every new season matches the library already live on Smartwool’s site.
Motion follows the same visual standards. 360 video is captured alongside the stills in a single workflow, giving shoppers an interactive view of the product without a separate production.
The results
- High-volume seasonal sock and apparel photography delivered consistently to retail partner specifications
- 360 video and eCommerce motion assets produced alongside still photography in one integrated workflow
- Files delivered cropped, retouched, and sized to spec, removing post-delivery processing for Smartwool’s team
- A production system that scales with Smartwool’s full seasonal catalog without losing quality from one SKU to the next
How a Smartwool season runs
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Plan the season
OMS account management handles seasonal intake, sample coordination, shoot scheduling, and delivery timelines, so each season stays on schedule regardless of SKU count.
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Prep and style
Samples are checked in, steamed, and shaped. Socks go on forms, and apparel is prepped for flat lay or on-model sets.
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Capture stills and 360
Each product type has a locked lighting and camera setup. 360 video is captured in the same session to the same standard.
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Retouch, crop, deliver
In-house retouchers match color to the physical sample, clean the white background, and crop each file to Smartwool’s and its retail partners’ specs.
Explore more eCommerce photography
Apparel and sock photography FAQ
How does OMS photograph socks for eCommerce?
Socks are shaped on forms and photographed ghost-mannequin style on a pure white background, so the heel, toe, cushioning, and pattern are easy to see. The form is removed in retouching, and each colorway is color-matched to the physical sample.
What is ghost mannequin photography?
Ghost mannequin photography shows apparel or socks with a natural, three-dimensional shape but no visible model or form. Products are shot on a mannequin or form, which is removed in retouching so the item appears to hold its shape on its own.
Can OMS handle high-volume seasonal catalogs?
Yes. OMS builds a production system around each brand’s seasonal calendar, with account management, sample coordination, photography, retouching, and delivery handled by one in-house team, so large SKU counts stay consistent from season to season.
Can OMS deliver images formatted for retail partners?
Yes. OMS crops, retouches, and sizes files to each retailer’s and marketplace’s specifications before delivery, so brands can upload images without additional processing.
Does OMS shoot 360 product video?
Yes. OMS captures 360 product video alongside still photography in the same session, using the same lighting standards, so motion and stills match across every channel.
Where are OMS Photography’s studios?
OMS has studios in Cincinnati, Ohio and Golden, Colorado, and works with national brands across the country. Products can be shipped to either studio.
Contact OMS
Have a seasonal catalog to shoot? Tell us about your products, how many SKUs you have each season, and where your images need to go.
